Who We Are
by Ed Westwicker
Summary: We all think that we know the Black sisters, but do we really?  Follow them through drama, broken hearts and fights to find out who they really were.
1. Prologue

Holding her head high, Andromeda Black stepped away from her old home. She was leaving everything behind: Her sisters, parents, belongings, friendships and any and all blood statuses.

A small smile lifted the corner of her lip as the light breeze lifted a curl off of her forehead. She was finally free. She was _finally_ going to step out of the Black's strict way of life and form her own path.

Yes, she was leaving her two best friends behind. But it was all for the greater good. They were free to live their lives and now she was free to live hers.

Andromeda took a shaky breath, snuck one last look at the house she had grown up and felt tears well up in her eyes.

No, it hadn't been her choice entirely, and she was going to miss it with every beating of her heart, but it was time for her to move on. She had grown up, and with growing up had come the realization that her parents' ideals were no longer hers. She had been forced to make a choice and she chose. There was no going back now.


	2. Here Is Gone

"Bella!" Andromeda's voice screeched up the stairs. Bellatrix fluttered her eyelids open and pulled the covers over her head. "Bellatrix! We're going to miss the train if we don't leave now!"

Bellatrix groaned and pushed the covers off of her, squinting against the harsh sunlight that was flooding into her tiny bedroom. She pulled her fingers through her dark, matted curls and sat up. Today was the big day. Andromeda and Bellatrix were heading back to school for their third and fifth years at Hogwarts while Narcissa was starting her first year. Needless to say, Bellatrix was hardly excited. It was going to be just like every other year: boys flirting with her and Andy, hearts being broken and friendships being smothered.

Bellatrix snorted and padded over to her dresser, her white feet hugging the emerald carpet. She rooted through her dresser, trying to find a suitable outfit that she hadn't packed away. She tapped her toes against the floor and let out a heavy sigh.

A dainty knock came at her door and Bellatrix turned around, her eyes meeting the soft brown ones of her sister. Andromeda smiled and walked over to her.

"Good job, Bella," she smirked, watching as Bellatrix changed out of her pajamas and ran a brush through her unruly hair.

"What are you talking about?" Bellatrix snapped, her near black eyes glinting dangerously.

"I think you've made a record." Bellatrix rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, please. Don't be so dramatic, Bellatrix," Andromeda sighed and rolled her eyes, cocking her head to the side. "Come on. If you don't hurry up, Mum's going to curse you into oblivion and what would you do without that pretty head of yours."

"Leave before I curse _your_ head off, Andromeda." Bellatrix snatched her wand off of the dresser and pointed it at her sister threateningly.

"Fine. But before you do," a smirk lit across Andromeda's face and she started to walk out of Bellatrix's room, "remember that I am your only friend." She turned around and blew Bellatrix a kiss, wiggling her fingers at her sister.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and did one last sweep of her room, ensuring that she wasn't leaving anything important behind. She sighed and felt a sobering wave of anxiety wash over her.

Bellatrix silently vowed that she would make this year the best year of them all. Protect her sisters, keep men at a distance, perhaps work on her grades and make sure that they all knew that the Blacks were the highest caliber and they were the lowest.

BAN:BAN:BAN:BAN:

Andromeda crossed her arms over her chest, wondering where her half screw-up of a sister was. She was sick of always waiting for Bella. There was no reason that she couldn't throw her hair up into a ponytail, yell at one of the House Elves to carry her trunk downstairs and come outside. They needed to leave for King's Cross or they were never going to get to Hogwarts and then Andromeda would never be able to go to Hogsmeade and there was no way that that was happening. Not that Bella cared that everything she did affected the rest of them. She was only worried about herself, and why shouldn't she? She was easily everyone's favorite. At least, besides Narcissa. But that was only because Cissy was cuter and more fragile than the other two.

And Andromeda was always shoved to the side.

A pang of heartbreak shot through Andromeda's body and she fought to keep her face expression calm and serene. She snuck a look at Narcissa and saw a flash of impatience and anger fly across Cissy's face.

"When is she going to come out, Mum?" Narcissa whined, flicking a piece of her white blonde hair behind her shoulder.

Andromeda tried to force down her anger at her eleven-year-old sister. After all, it was only her first year and she was probably more excited than she thought she would be and she didn't mean to be annoying. And besides, everything went back to Bellatrix. Narcissa wouldn't be this annoying if it wasn't for Bellatrix's need to make everyone wait for her.

"Mum!" Narcissa's already shrill voice had broken what seemed a new record at being more annoying than ever as she whined for the second time.

Their mother whipped her dark head around and glared at her youngest daughter.

"Quiet, Narcissa," she hissed, her brown eyes glinting with anger and annoyance. Narcissa snapped her mouth shut and her gray eyes widened with fear. "We are waiting for Bellatrix and then we will leave. Do you understand me?" Narcissa nodded silently, her lower lip trembling. "I said do you understand me? I expect an answer."

Druella Black brought her hand forward and grabbed onto a piece of Narcissa's silky hair, pulling on it with what seemed all her strength. Narcissa screamed and a fat tear rolled down her cheek.

The car door opened and Bellatrix grabbed onto her mother's arm. She pulled her away from Narcissa and stood with her hands on her hips, anger and hatred evident on her dark face. Andromeda felt a smile spread across her full lips and felt a flash of pride for her older, stronger sister.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Bellatrix?" Druella hissed in a low voice. Bellatrix set her jaw and glared at her mother. "Get into the car, child. You've been holding us up for long enough."

"I'm not getting into the car with you, Mother," she spat, her deep eyes flashing with a protective anger that seemed to radiate from her entire being. "Not after what you just did."

"What I did, Bella, was the result of you not hurrying yourself."

"Don't blame me for your shortcomings, Mother. I'm not the reason you just hurt your own daughter."

Druella's brown eyes narrowed and she stepped out of the car, making for Bellatrix. Bellatrix stood her ground, pulling her wand out of her boot. She pointed it at her mother and grit her teeth. Andromeda understood what was going through her sister's mind. She was frustrated, angry, bitter and upset. This wasn't the first time that Bella and their mother had fought, and it wasn't going to be the last.

Andromeda finally swallowed her pride and stepped out of the car, her soft features falling into a mask of concern.

"Please, stop," she begged, walking towards them. She stepped between them and looked at Bellatrix. "If you do this she isn't going to let you back into the house."

"I don't care!" Bellatrix yelled, pushing her sister away from her. Andromeda stumbled backward and knocked against her mother. Druella pushed her daughter off of her and Andromeda landed on the ground, her knees scraping against the dirt. "She isn't going to do whatever she pleases and get away with it!"

"That's where you're wrong, Bellatrix," Druella simpered, grabbing Bellatrix's wrist and pulling her towards the car. "I am your mother and I am entitled to do whatever I please and get away with it. Understood?"

"Yes," Andromeda cut in, picking herself off of the ground. "We both understand."

"What the hell are you doing?" Bellatrix hissed, narrowing her eyes.

Andromeda just shook her head and turned to their mother. "Please can we just go to Hogwarts?"

Druella took a few seconds to respond but nodded. Ducking into the car and slamming the door. Andromeda took a step towards Bellatrix and placed a hand on her shoulder, willing her to see why she had intervened. Bellatrix shrugged her hand off and got into the car, slamming the door with a finality that couldn't be mistaken. Andromeda sighed and walked to the passenger side of the car, tears welling in her eyes.

"Why can't we just have a normal start to the year?" she whispered sadly to herself.


End file.
